Look at the three feathers to the left. The one to the right is what I had trouble with: fibers that are too long for winding on even a size 12 hook and when I do get them on the hook they have a habit of clinging together and I don't like that.
Now check out the other two feathers. The first thing that you notice is that they are narrow which means shorter fibers which means the ability of tying smaller flies which is what I like.
How does one obtain the narrow feathers? Well, my days of getting them through mail order is over. I need to see these capes to make sure that they have the feathers that I want. As it turned out I have about a half dozen capes but only two have the feathers that I want. Guess I'll stuff a pillow with the others!!
A Sulphur Soft Hackle
How do you tie a soft hackle fly to represent a sulphur emerger? First, use a hen hackle like the middle one in the photo above. It's dyed olive but has some brown tones to it. Second, use a yellow 6/0 thread for the rear section of the fly. Third, use some bright yellow rabbit dubbing for the thorax. Size 16 and 18 seem to fill the bill on the Swift.
One more point - not every light colored mayfly is a SULPHUR as so many seem to believe. The Cahill Family (Stenonema and Stenacron) are the dominant species in many rivers and will outnumber Ephemerella Dorothea in many cases.
The Rivers
Ken
10 comments:
I have a Collins hen set, neck and saddle, in which the neck is grizzly dyed olive and the saddle is undyed grizzly. Both can tie flies in the 12, 14, 16 range. Even smaller for the neck. The saddle hackle is softer and webbier than the neck hackle. I use them for a lot of my soft hackles and find I can use the undyed grizzly saddle in place of partridge for smaller flies. One or one and half turns of one of these feathers is plenty for a SH so I can get several flies/feather. They work well for me. I still use my partridge for a lot of my flies, but I’m moving to using the grizzly saddle for the smaller ones (14/16) and for even smaller (16/18) olive SHs I use the hen neck feathers.
Chuck
Hi Ken,
I too, like to use soft hackles flies ever since these were introduced to me some years ago by a knowledgeable guide (that's you) on the Swift River. I've used H. partridge, starling, woodcock, quail, and pheasant. I plan to try chukar next. I think Jack Gartside even used sparrow and pigeon and probably many others. I guess that the bottom line is we need to be open-minded and never stop experimenting. I hope your season goes well.
Chuck and Perk,
Two EXCELLENT comments for this blog. There are sooo many feather options out there for soft hackle flies that one cannot ever close the door on what can be used. And the fact that we are using NATURAL materials instead of gaudy synthetics makes it so much better.
Are we imitating the natural insect by using natural materials and is that closer to the flyfishing ideal?? I think so!!!
Ken
Here's an excellent video on how to use soft hackles that are too big.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31DWumnrPIs
I don't usually comment on fly tying questions, especially in season, because now flyfishing (my passion) is #1 and tying is a hobby to support that. Now SH I am sold on and I have used partridge, hen, starling, and synthetics all work fine and catch fish. I am also a fan of long, heavily hackled SH. Anyways I read an article in the summer fly tyer mag about whitings Brahma hen feathers engineered for SH if you can read the article it contains more info than I will type here. So I order a cape from a fly tying house in St Louis the only place I could find them for $17. I ordered brown there are other colors, the cape itself is great quality and worth the money I already wish I nad ordered more colors. Now back to my passion, the dayville section of litteville is open, thats where the MB flows into the lake, been there for the last 2 mornings, rising fish and low water, few people. Knightville is still closed.
The Red Label Whiting hen necks are perfect for what you are trying to do Ken...many shops do not have many so when you see them take a hard look. They are consistently good for feather quality (soft but not too webby) and the stems are very thin and pliable making the easy to wrap well and tie a wide variety of sizes without much trouble from 16-8...the feather count is high as well. There are some online vendors who do stock them more than you'd ever find locally and they have such a consistent quality I am comfortable buying them online and have done so without regret. For a change of pace I may try some white mountain locations this weekend or try to find a spot on the Millers for an evening hatch(never have seen so many anglers on it in my experience even late which has been historically quiet)
BobT,
I'll check them out. I always felt that hen hackle was an afterthought compared to the roosters.
The Millers - 9 cars at Wendell Depot at 8pm but my other spots were empty.
Ken
+2 on Whiting hen necks for soft hackles/wet flys. I have a shoebox full of various colors. I am a skeptic of buying natural materials sight unseen, but make an exception with these Whiting Products.
Checked out the Housy Thursday night along route 8 in Clarksburg, and there was an obnoxious amount of cloudiness in the water. Haven’t fished it before, so I’m not familiar. Is this normal?
Anonymous 6:56,
Thank you for the recommendation on Whiting hen necks. I think I've ignored these sources too long!
One Der,
First I've heard of it. I'm not a Housy angler so I'm thinking that there may have been a stray T'storm out that way that muddy the water. Just a thought.
ken
Post a Comment